[pct-l] Simblissity Camera Holder

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

The shoulder strap camera bag is actually something I've 
been using on my hikes for a few years now. I prefer this 
approach to the fanny packs and "front" packs because it 
makes dual use of a pack feature that is continually in use. 
On short hikes, and for ultralight long-distance hiking, a 
hipbelt may be unnecessary, and any pocket otherwise 
attached to it would be unavailable. And a front pack 
designed around the sizing requirements of today's 
lightweight cameras would, in my opinion, be an overkill 
item, with much additional complexity and with the 
detraction of reduced ventilation and comfort on the chest.

My product would mostly be aimed at carrying a camera. Of 
course, it could also be used to hold other items of a 
similar volume to a camera. But it would attach to a 
shoulder strap, just above one of its webbing 
cross-stitching points, and the final design will hopefully 
avoid overcompressing and thus warping that webbing, while 
still holding the camera in stable fashion within the bag. 
In my experience, the weight of a camera, even upwards of a 
pound of camera weight, is not a prohibitively unbalanced 
load when carried on the front of a single shoulder strap. 
Those concerned about imbalanced loads might consider a 
second such bag for the other shoulder strap, which could 
contain other items of similar weight. Or perhaps a simpler 
answer would be to store a greater volume of water in the 
bottle that will go into a pack pocket on the opposite side 
from the camera bag. Would the hiker still feel the extra 
weight over the camera bag shoulder? Again, in my 
experience, this has never been the case. Especially since 
the bag does not bounce or jostle about in any way.

I'd need to prototype a bit before going forward. Maybe I'll 
come up with an unofficial design that folks might like to 
test on their hikes this spring. I'll update anyone who has 
contacted me off-list about this idea.

- blisterfree

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